Will my teeth relapse without a retainer?

[Duffy]

I have almost finished my invisalign treatment and have just another 2 more aligners to go to finish my treatment. I am very pleased with the results and it has exceeded my expectations of it. My dentist says that I must wear retainers afterwards to prevent relapse. Could you tell me if wearing retainers after invisalign is compulsory or optional. Also if I do have to wear retainers, for how long do I have to wear the retainers?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Without post-treatment retainers your teeth will very likely relapse. After invisalign is completed, we usually recommend retainers in this order:

1. First three months - full time
2. The following 12 months - every night
3. The following 12 months - every other night
4. Then forever onwards - three nights a week.